Maximilian Hoerner, Ph.D.

Head of Optogenetics at Prolific Machines

Speaker

Maximilian Hoerner is a leading expert in molecular optogenetics and has been at the forefront of the field since its emergence. He joined Prolific Machines as Head of Optogenetics in 2022, driven by a passion to translate this powerful technology into impactful industrial applications.
Max earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Molecular Biotechnology from Heidelberg University. Following a research stay at Harvard University, he pioneered the application of photoswitches to control apoptosis with light during his Master’s thesis. Building on this foundation, Max pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Freiburg, where he developed innovative strategies to control mammalian cell signaling through optogenetics. After a brief postdoctoral period, he established his own research group at the University of Freiburg and spearheaded the concept of extracellular optogenetics.Beyond optogenetics, Max brings broad expertise in synthetic biology, mammalian cell line engineering, and protein production and purification.